996

Work 9am-9pm, 6 days a week

Also known as the 996 schedule, it's when someone works from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week.

Historical perspective: Chinese tech billionaire Jack Ma was criticized in early 2019 after he enthusiastically endorsed a 12-hour workday. The founder of Alibaba said in a blog post that the so-called 996 schedule—working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week—that is increasingly the norm at Chinese tech firms allows employees to enjoy the happiness and rewards of hard work. But Chinese internet commenters complained that such a schedule prevents workers from having a personal life, and the state-run newspaper People’s Daily agreed. Advocating hard work and commitment does not mean forcing overtime, the paper said, calling 996 culture unfair and impractical. China adopted the two-day weekend in 1995.